The first wind project on the California coast, the Strauss Wind Energy Project near Lompoc, is now up and running, with 29 wind turbines operating and producing enough energy to power up to 40,000 homes. 

After more than two decades of development for the project, county Planning and Development Director Lisa Plowman told the Planning Commission last week that the project became operational at the end of December, and is now delivering power to the state grid.

Located about 3.5 miles southwest of the city of Lompoc and adjacent to the Vandenberg Space Force Base, the project consists of 29 wind turbine generators that are up to 492 feet tall and are capable of producing 98 megawatts — the equivalent of powering about 40,000 homes.

“I think that’s a pretty significant step in this county,” Plowman said. “There were moments where we weren’t sure that we were going to be able to make this project happen, but everybody pulled together, including the state and federal agencies, to get it up and running.”

In addition to the turbine generators, the project includes a new 7.3-mile, 115-kilovolt transmission line to interconnect with the PG&E electric grid, a 1-acre substation, a 1.4-acre switchyard, and a 0.4-acre operations-and-maintenance facility.

The project also constructed new roads and widened existing roads within the project site.

BayWa r.e. Wind, which acquired the rights to the project in 2016, said that the Strauss Wind Energy Project will provide annual income to ranchers leasing land to the project and allow local agricultural operations to continue with minimal impact.

BayWa r.e. added that Strauss Wind will be among the top 10 tax contributors in the county, generating an estimated $40 million in tax revenue during its 30-year lifecycle.

More information on the Strauss Wind Energy Project is available on its website here, as well as on the county’s website here.